Arranged To Purity
by tinylexie
Summary: During the summer between their sixth and seventh year, Narcissa's best friends learn who their future husbands will be.
1. Letters

Their sixth year at Hogwarts was like any other year until they received the letters from their parents.

"What's wrong?" Narcissa asked her best friends, seeing the crestfallen expressions on each of their faces.

"Our parents have arranged marriages for us as soon as we graduate," Georgina answered grimly as she put down her letter. "We will be learning who our future husbands are this summer."

Narcissa frowned. Arranged marriages weren't exactly rare in Pureblood society. She and Lucius had been arranged since they were babies. It was rare, however, for arranged marriages to be made when a Pureblood girl was close to being an adult.

"Why now?" Narcissa inquired.

"They didn't say," Nicola spoke, "but I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. My parents have been asking me for several years now if there was any boy that I've been having my eyes on, and I've always told them that most of the Slytherin boys are much too immature for my taste. There's just no proper breeding in them. I guess my parents found that to be an unacceptable response to their inquiry."

Georgina nodded her head at Nicola's words, indicating that her situation was similar.

 _"Toujours Pur,"_ Narcissa muttered with some degree of bitterness.

Narcissa then glanced over at Flora. Out of her three friends, Narcissa was the most worried about Flora. Georgina and Nicola were both strong-willed, more strong-willed than their parents would prefer. Flora, on the other hand, was sweet, gentle, and soft-spoken. Narcissa could only hope that the man her parents forced her to marry would not take advantage of her docile personality.

Around them, the rest of the Slytherins at their table in the Great Hall were engaged in their own conversations and not paying Narcissa and her friends any mind. Well, the rest of the Slytherins with the exception of Lucius, Regulus, and Severus, all of whom were closely listening to the conversation going on among the four young ladies.

* * *

Severus turned his head away so that no one could see his frown. This type of conversation was just another reminder of how he didn't truly fit in with the rest of his Housemates. His mother, despite being a Pureblood witch, had never talked to him about the importance that Purebloods tended to put on arranged marriages. His mother, despite being a Pureblood witch, had married a Muggle.

Severus could feel Lucius giving him a sympathetic look. Unlike most others, Lucius knew that Severus was a Half-Blood. Severus could never forget how Lucius had suddenly appeared in his house during the summer between his first and second year and had then gotten involved in a fight with his father Tobias Snape.

Despite all that, however, Lucius had continued to take Severus under his wing and had continued to show him the respect that he would show any other Pureblood of proper breeding and standing.

Still, though, it always hurt whenever Severus was faced with something that reminded him that he was not the Pureblood that he pretended to be in order to be accepted by the other Slytherins.

* * *

"Why couldn't our parents have waited until the summer to tell us this news?" Nicola asked in an annoyed voice. "Don't they know that we still have to take our end-of-term exams and that we don't need this type of distraction?"

"Just be glad they didn't wait to do this until right before it was time for you take to your N.E.W.T.s," Lucius said teasingly, knowing that using humour was typically the best way to raise Nicola's spirits.

"I'm surprised they didn't do that," Nicola grinned back at Lucius, knowing that he had just been trying to make her feel better.

"Do you have any idea of who our future husbands might be, Lucius?" Georgina asked.

Like the rest of the Slytherins, Georgina knew that if you wanted information on anyone and anything, Lucius was the person to go to.

Lucius, however, shook his head. "I'm sorry, Georgina, but I have no idea. I haven't heard any of our Housemates bragging about it or anything like that."

"I suppose that means then that our parents intend to marry us off to older men," Georgina said in a disgusted voice. "If we were to marry one of our Housemates, they most likely would have bragged about it by now."

"That could be likely," Lucius remarked. "I know that there are several older Pureblood men whom have not yet married."

"I just hope they're not that much older than me," Nicola muttered. "I don't want to marry someone old enough to be my father or even worse someone old enough to be my grandfather."

Flora's face went very pale at those words.

"Oh, Flora, I'm sorry," Nicola spoke quickly. "I didn't meant to upset you."

Regulus also gave Flora a sympathetic, worried look.

Narcissa couldn't help thinking that it was a shame that Regulus was so much younger than Flora, especially considering that it was a rarity for a Pureblood male to be older than his Pureblood wife (Orion and Walburga Black were one of those few rarities, and even with them the age difference wasn't that huge), because Narcissa truly believed that her cousin and her friend would be perfect for each other. Their personalities were so similar, and Narcissa knew that each would treat the other with respect.

Narcissa could only hope that Flora's parents had set her up with a Pureblood man that had good breeding and knew how to treat a Pureblood lady properly.

"Well, there's point worrying about any of this until summertime," Georgina said suddenly. "We need to concentrate on our studies. Whoever I end up being married to, I'm not going to allow them to have the advantage of being so much smarter than me."

Nicola nodded her head in agreement.

Flora, who was still pale, also gave a slight nod of her head.

"You should eat something, Flora," Regulus suggested in a kind voice. "Food always makes me feel better."

Flora smiled slightly at Regulus.

 _Yes, they would definitely be perfect for each other,_ Narcissa thought with a combination of fondness and sadness.

Narcissa then glanced over at Georgina and Nicola. Despite their strong, annoyed facades, Narcissa knew that there were just as worried as Flora was about who they were going to be arranged to marry.

Narcissa was proud to be a Pureblood, but it was at times like these that she wished their society was different.

Narcissa felt Lucius's eyes on her. She knew that she had been fortunate to be paired with Lucius, who had always treated her with respect and as an equal.

It also had not hurt that she and Lucius had been friends long before they had started to have any romantic feelings toward each other.

Narcissa could only hope that Flora, Georgina, and Nicola would have similar fortune in their future husbands.

* * *

 **Author's Note** **: Even though Harry Potter Wiki has Cygnus Black still being a child when his first daughter Bellatrix was born, Harry Potter Wiki also stated that Rowling has admitted that math isn't her strongest point. Therefore, it is possible that a mistake was made in Cygnus's age. Also, since I see Pureblood society as being very traditional, I can't image a male Pureblood becoming a father when he is still a child himself. My Cygnus, therefore, is older than what Harry Potter Wiki states, even though I do picture him as being around Druella's age. In most cases, I don't see a Pureblood male being younger than his Pureblood wife, even though there is an exception when it comes to Orion and Walburga Black, with Walburga being a few years older than Orion. However, they were both born Blacks, so perhaps their parents just wanted Black blood to stick with other Black blood. In my headcanon, though, something like that happening is a very rare occasion; so the likelihood of Regulus ever being engaged to Flora (who is Narcissa's age in my headcanon) isn't high.** **I try to follow canon as much as possible, but I just had to make an exception with this. Hopefully that doesn't bother anyone too much.**

 **Additional Author's Note** **: For the full story of Lucius's visit to Severus's house, see my story "Different Worlds But Not So Different People."**


	2. Husbands

Flora was definitely caught by surprise when she saw who her future husband was to be. He was one of the last people that she had been expecting to see standing in her family's main drawing room.

Mr. Nott.

A man older than her parents.

A man older than her father.

Flora somehow managed to smile sweetly at Nott, who gave her a smile in return that sent shivers down her spine.

"Mr. Nott requested you in particular," Flora's father said. "He told me that no other Pureblood young lady would do for him."

"I am honoured that you would say such a thing about me," Flora told her future husband in a polite voice.

Nott gave her another smile that sent another round of shivers down her spine before he began to circle her, his eyes looking her up and down.

"There is no need for you to feel so honoured, Flora," Nott spoke. "You are a very beautiful young lady with an exquisite body. Too many Pureblood girls your age have really let themselves go, but not you. No, your body is perfect. You have clearly taken good care of yourself."

"I have always made sure to eat healthy," Flora responded, her voice still polite.

"And I hope you continue to do that," Nott returned. "I come from a very respectable, distinguished family, and it would be a shame if you ended up being a bad reflection of me."

"I have no intention of shaming you or your family in any way, Mr. Nott," Flora replied.

"Good," Nott smiled. He then turned to Flora's parents. "She is everything that I could ever want in a wife. I trust that you will have no problem with me wanting to marry her as soon as she graduates from Hogwarts next year."

"That will be no problem at all," Flora's father said. "I know that you are eager to have an heir."

"And as young and healthy as Flora is, I have no doubt that it won't take long for me to have that heir," Nott said.

He then turned to once again smile at Flora. "Perhaps we'll have more than just one heir."

"That would be a pleasure," Flora returned, somehow managing to keep a sweet smile on her face.

Nott exchanged a few more words with Flora's parents before taking his leave from the house.

"I hope you realize just how fortunate you are, Flora," her father spoke. "The Notts are a highly regarded Pureblood family."

"I understand, Father," Flora responded, her voice as polite as it had been for her future husband. "I promise that I will do both you and Mr. Nott proud."

Flora's mother smiled at her words, clearly pleased.

"That's my good little girl," Flora's father smiled. "You may go to your room now if you wish and write your friends. I know that you are eager to learn who Georgina and Nicola will be marrying."

"Thank you, Father," Flora said. She then gave both of her parents a slight curtsy before turning to leave the room.

It was only Flora's good breeding and training that kept her from breaking into a run.

She didn't know what you wanted to do more, throw up or cry.

She couldn't believe that her parents were truly expecting her to marry a man that was older than them.

And the way that Nott had looked at her with such lecherous eyes, as if she was nothing more than a pretty possession, as if she was something less than human.

 _But I will endure Mr. Nott,_ Flora told herself. _I will do what is expected out of me. I will continue the Pureblood line._

What else could she do? She didn't want to risk bringing shame to anyone, including herself. She didn't want to risk being disowned. She just wanted to be a good little Pureblood girl like she had always been, like she had been trained to be.

* * *

"Goyle," Georgina said in disgust. "I'm to marry that idiot Goyle."

"And I'm to marry Goyle's idiotic friend Crabbe," Nicola spoke.

Narcissa, Flora, Georgina, and Nicola were all gathered in Narcissa's bedroom. Narcissa and Flora were sitting on the bed, while Georgina and Nicola were sitting in two chairs that they had pulled close to the bed.

"Well, at least we don't ever have to worry about our husbands being smarter than us," Georgina remarked, trying to make light out of their situations.

Nicola cracked a slight smile at her friend's joke.

"What did you say to your parents about their choices?" Narcissa asked.

"I was perfectly polite and ladylike," Nicola answered. "My parents had told me before Crabbe's arrival that they would ground me if I behaved in a less than proper manner towards my future husband. Can you believe that? I'm almost an adult that's going to be married in a year, and my parents still treat me like a child."

"Same here," Georgina spoke. "I didn't want to risk my parents keeping me from being able to visit any of you, so I behaved myself. I hated every moment of it, though."

"I screamed and threw things as soon as Crabbe left," Nicola grinned. "My parents weren't too happy with that, but I reminded them that they had only told me to behave while Crabbe was there. They had not said anything about how I was supposed to behave after he left."

Narcissa couldn't help but shake her head in amusement.

Narcissa then turned her head to look at her other friend, who had not said much since arriving.

"What about you, Flora? Who are you to marry?"

"Mr. Nott," Flora mumbled.

"Nott," Nicola said in shocked outrage. "But isn't he older than your parents?"

"He is," Flora confirmed, "but he requested me in particular and of course my parents accepted. My family isn't nearly as wealthy or prestigious as the Nott family, so I'm supposed to feel flattered and honoured that someone like Mr. Nott would be interested in marrying me."

"Nevertheless, it's still disgusting," Georgina remarked. "Goyle and Crabbe are idiots, but at least they're only a few years older than us."

Flora decided that it would be best to not mention how Mr. Nott had looked at her. Just thinking about his lecherous eyes made her want to tremble.

"Did Mr. Goyle and Crabbe want you two in particular?" Flora asked in an attempt to push her future husband's eyes out of her mind.

Her future husband. She didn't want to think about Mr. Nott in that way.

"My parents didn't give me that impression," Nicola answered. "I think that Crabbe is just smart enough to realize that he isn't much of a catch, even for a Pureblood, so he was willing to accept just about anyone to be his wife. My parents hate me. That's the only reasonable explanation for this."

"Here, here," Georgina said, holding up her hand as if she was giving Nicola a toast.

Narcissa and Flora couldn't help but giggle at their friends' antics. Georgina and Nicola were truly two of a kind.

Narcissa was almost tempted to feel sorry for Goyle and Crabbe. Almost.

"It's going to get worse, though," Nicola suddenly sighed. "My parents have told me that there will be a party soon in which my engagement to Crabbe will be formally announced. I'm going to have to spend an entire night smiling at my future husband and pretending that I find him to be absolutely fascinating."

"My parents have also mentioned a party," Georgina said. "According to them, all the respectable Purebloods are going to be in attendance."

"We better start working on our acting skills then," Nicola muttered. "We wouldn't want to bring any shame to our families, after all."

Flora just nodded her head. Her parents had also mentioned a party to her. But that wasn't what she was mostly thinking about. No, she was mostly thinking about how she was going to have to share a bed with Mr. Nott as soon as they were married.

That old man, that old man who was older than her parents, would one day be touching her in her most intimate places.

Flora visibly trembled.

Narcissa immediately wrapped her arms around her friend and pulled her close.

Before she could help herself, Flora began to sob. She freely cried on Narcissa's shoulder, who rubbed her back and made soothing sounds.

Georgina and Nicola got up from their chairs and walked over to the bed to also give Flora their support and comfort.

They could make light out of their situations as much as they wanted to, but nothing could change the fact that Flora, Georgina, and Nicola were all dreading the day that they would officially become Mrs. Nott, Goyle, and Crabbe respectively.


	3. Prominence

Narcissa strolled through the garden of Black Manor with Lucius and Regulus as she related to them the fates of Flora, Georgina, and Nicola.

"But surely their parents can't be serious," Regulus spoke. "I don't think I've ever heard Goyle or Crabbe speak more than a single sentence at a time, and Nott is just old. Flora is your age, Cissy."

"Nevertheless, Flora's, Georgina's, and Nicola's parents are not going to have any problems with accepting these matches on their daughters' behalves," Lucius drawled. "The Notts, the Goyles, and the Crabbes are much more prominent families than the ones that Flora, Georgina, and Nicola come from, and their parents are going to make it clear to them that they should feel honoured that their future husbands have accepted them to be their wives."

"More prominent?" Regulus said in confusion. "Aren't we all Purebloods?"

"Yes, but even among us Purebloods, there are some whom are more superior," Lucius explained. "You will understand this better after you attend more Pureblood parties and events. But the general gist of it is, some Pureblood families have more money, more famous ancestors, or they can trace their noble heritage farther back than others can. As my father would put it, some Purebloods are _purer_ than others."

"That sounds like a lot of nonsense to me," Regulus mumbled.

"I agree," Lucius responded, "but that's how our society is. And that's why Flora's, Georgina's, and Nicola's parents will leave them with no choice but to marry Nott, Goyle, and Crabbe."

"I suppose then that Flora, Georgina, and Nicola will have no say in the matter," Regulus said.

"No, they don't, not if they don't want to risk being disowned," Lucius replied, giving Narcissa a sympathetic look as he knew that she still sometimes thought about her disowned sister Andromeda.

Narcissa gave Lucius an appreciative smile before directing her attention to her young cousin.

"And as strong-willed as Georgina and Nicola can be, they know the importance of maintaining appearances," she told Regulus. "In public, they will act like the perfect Pureblood wives."

"But Nott is still old and Flora is still your age," Regulus cried.

Narcissa gave her cousin a sad look. She knew that he had been harbouring a bit of a crush for Flora since they had first met.

If only Regulus was not younger than Flora.

"Do you think Flora, Georgina, and Nicola are going to be okay, Cissy?" Regulus asked in concern.

Narcissa turned to look at Lucius. "You know Nott, Goyle, and Crabbe better than I do. What do you think?"

"I think that Goyle and Crabbe aren't going to know what hits them," Lucius grinned. However, he quickly turned serious. "Georgina and Nicola appreciate intelligent conversation, and they aren't ever going to get that from their husbands. I expect that they will be visiting you often. But they're both strong. I doubt that they will ever be fully happy, but I don't think they will be completely miserable either."

"What about Flora?" Narcissa pressed, somehow managing to keep her voice steady.

Regulus also looked at Lucius, his young face reflecting his worry.

Lucius hesitated for a moment. He usually was very open and honest with Narcissa, but he knew that she was already worried about her friend as it was. She would be horrified if she fully knew what Nott was like.

"Nott likes to maintain the appearance of being a perfect Pureblood gentleman," Lucius finally said. "I doubt he would ever physically hurt Flora."

Hurting her emotionally, however, was a totally different matter; but Lucius decided that it would be best for both Narcissa's and Regulus's well-beings to not mention that.

"Lucius, who's more prominent, the Notts or the Blacks?" Regulus asked.

"The Blacks," Lucius answered. "Your family has more money and can trace their heritage farther back than the Notts can."

"Then, if Flora's parents had to choose between a Black or a Nott for her to marry, they would want her to marry the Black," Regulus reasoned.

"I don't think that's going to happen," Lucius said sympathetically, knowing exactly where Regulus was heading. "The Nott family is not so lowly that they can't get what they want, even if they were to compete against your family. And let's not forget Nott's age. He's more well-known and influential than you are as an individual. Only if your parents were to want Flora to be your wife would you have a chance to null the claim that Nott has made on her, and I doubt your parents would ever do that. Flora just doesn't come from a prominent enough family for your parents to be interested in her."

"That's not fair," Regulus grumbled. "We are all Purebloods. We all should regard one another equally."

"Our society can be very hypocritical at times," Lucius acknowledged, "but that's the way it's always been. Every system is flawed in some way."

"But that doesn't mean it can't change," Regulus said in a determined voice.

"No, it doesn't," Lucius agreed, "but changes in beliefs and traditions never come easily or quickly."

It was clear that Regulus was not pleased by Lucius's word, but he didn't say anything further. Regulus knew that Lucius had a better understanding of Pureblood politics than he did, and if Lucius said that any type of change was close to impossible, then that was the case.

Regulus still didn't like it, though. Flora deserved someone closer to her age, regardless of how prominent or influential he was. Flora deserved someone who would treat her with respect and dignity.

Lucius, meanwhile, was thinking about his mother, something he had not done for quite a while. From what little he knew about her, she had been fresh out of Hogwarts when she had married Abraxas, a man who was only slightly younger than Dumbledore.

Abraxas had always described his wife as being weak.

Lucius's mother had died in childbirth.

Even though Lucius logically knew that a young woman marrying a much older man did not equal that woman dying in childbirth, he still could not help but worry about Flora, who had always been sweet and gentle. Someone like Nott would have no problem with taking advantage of that.

Lucius suddenly felt the familiar feel of Narcissa's hand grabbing his hand.

It never failed to amaze Lucius how Narcissa always seemed to know what he was thinking without him having to say anything.

And if anyone were to ever ask Narcissa, she would say the same exact thing about Lucius.

"There you are, Cissy," came the voice of Narcissa's mother.

"Hello, Lucius," Druella greeted as she approached the three friends. "Hello, Regulus."

Lucius and Regulus both gave Druella polite greetings in return.

Druella hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'm not trying to rush you two away or anything like that, but I just wanted to remind Cissy that we need to start our shopping as soon as possible."

"Shopping for what, Mrs. Black?" Regulus asked in confusion, even though he made sure to keep his voice respectful. "Is someone's birthday coming up?"

If the atmosphere had not felt so serious, Lucius and Narcissa would have laughed at the horrified expression on Regulus's face.

"Oh, no," Druella laughed. "Surely your parents have told you already about the upcoming party in which Cissy's friends will have their marriages officially announced. Well, we must go shopping for that, so that Cissy will be the star of the show. I want everyone talking about how beautiful and how perfect she looks."

"The party is for Flora, Georgina, Nicola, and their future husbands," Narcissa said, somehow managing to keep the disgust out of her voice when she said the word husbands. "They are the ones that should be receiving all the attention. It's their night, after all. I will have my time to shine when I marry Lucius."

"It's sweet of you, Cissy, to care so much about your friends," Druella responded with a fake, very forced smile, "but us Blacks are more prominent than the Notts, the Goyles, and the Crabbes could ever hope to be. All the attention should belong to us. It's only fair."

Druella then turned to Lucius. "Us and the Malfoys, of course."

"It is very kind of you to take note of my family's prominence, Mrs. Black," Lucius responded in his most diplomatic voice.

"Of course," Druella smiled sweetly. She then directed her attention to her daughter. "As soon as you are finished with spending time with Lucius and Regulus, come to me so that we can leave. I will be waiting for you in the main drawing room."

Druella then turned back to Lucius and Regulus. "Not that I'm trying to rush you Lucius or you Regulus. Take your time. The party is still several days away; but it is important that we start getting ready as soon as possible, and I'm sure you two want to start preparing as well. The Malfoys and the Blacks must shine, after all."

Druella then turned and took her leave from the garden.

"Sometimes I really hate that woman," Narcissa hissed. "She has to know that Flora, Georgina, and Nicola can't possibly be happy with their future husbands, but she still wants to make everything about her. She wants to make Flora, Georgina, and Nicola jealous of me. She has never really liked them because she has never considered them to be prominent enough and therefore not worthy enough to be the friends of a Black."

"Is that why she doesn't seem to care that Flora is going to have to marry a man who's older than her father?" Regulus asked.

Narcissa laughed bitterly. "My mother wouldn't care about marrying _me_ to a much older man if he was prominent and respectable enough for her taste."

Narcissa then turned to look at Lucius. "I'm lucky in more ways than one. I just wish it could be the same way for Flora, Georgina, and Nicola."

" _Toujours Pur,"_ Lucius spoke with a huge degree of unhappiness.

When it came to being proud of one's Pureblood heritage, there were few prouder than Lucius. However, that didn't mean that he had to agree with all the Pureblood customs.

The Pureblood population was no longer as huge as it used to be, but there were still plenty of Purebloods out there that would have been better matches for Flora, Georgina, and Nicola, even if those Purebloods weren't nearly as prominent as the Notts, the Goyles, and the Crabbes were.


	4. Party 1

It did not take Regulus long before he started to feel disgusted by his older brother's selfishness. In about a year, Flora, Georgina, and Nicola were going to be forced to marry men whom would never be able to possibly offer the three young ladies the happiness and the love that they deserved, but all Sirius could talk about was how miserable _he_ was.

"I can't believe Father and Mother forced me to come here," Sirius complained yet again.

"Well, you can only be 'sick' so many times before people start to gossip," Regulus snapped. "Is it really your goal in life to bring shame to our family name?"

"You make that sound like a bad thing," Sirius smirked.

Regulus didn't bother to reply to that. Instead, he stood up and walked over to his parents and waited until they noticed him before speaking.

"Father, Mother, may I walk around for a while?" Regulus asked. "I promise that I will stay in this room."

Walburga looked at her husband, and he nodded his head.

Both Orion and Walburga knew that Regulus was mature beyond his years and that, unlike his older brother, he could be trusted to stay out of trouble.

The two older Blacks also knew that their youngest son would probably eventually end up in Lucius's and Narcissa's company, and there was no denying that those two were both the definitions of proper, respectable Purebloods.

"Of course, dear," Walburga smiled sweetly. "Just return to us before it's time to go."

"I will," Regulus promised before walking off into the crowd, feeling Sirius's jealous glare following him.

* * *

Lucius and Narcissa were both standing in a shadowy corner of the huge ballroom in order to avoid drawing attention to themselves. They had to struggle to not laugh when they once again caught sight of Druella making her way through the crowd, no doubt looking for her youngest daughter so that she could show off to everyone just how stunning Narcissa looked in her new dress.

And Narcissa did look stunning. It really was a shame that the dress's only purpose was to try to make her friends jealous.

Narcissa looked over at Lucius. In his new dress robes, he was as handsome as Narcissa was beautiful.

Abraxas believed that everyone else, even other Purebloods, were inferior to a Malfoy.

Narcissa couldn't help thinking that if Abraxas didn't think so lowly of women, including even Pureblood women, he and her mother would have made a perfect couple.

"Why are you two hiding in the shadows?" a woman's voice suddenly asked. "Well, for you, Lucius, this is normal behavior. But you, Cissy, now this isn't normal behavior for you."

"Hello, Bella," Narcissa greeted.

Lucius just nodded his head at Bellatrix, and she gave him a slight incline of her head in return.

Narcissa wasn't surprised that her older sister had been able to see them, and Lucius didn't look surprised either. Bellatrix, after all, was a Death Eater; and being able to see people whom were trying to hide was definitely a useful skill for a Death Eater.

"You do realize that Mother has been looking for you for the past hour, right?" Bellatrix said to her younger sister.

"Are you going to tell her where she can find me?" Narcissa sighed.

"Why would I want to do that?" Bellatrix responded. "Like I really want to spend the rest of the night listening to Mother bragging to everyone about what a beautiful little doll you are."

"Where's Rodolphus?" Narcissa asked, not wanting to listen to another one of her sister's tirades about how Druella favored the perfect little baby of the family over her.

"Around," Bellatrix spoke in a bored voice.

Narcissa hesitated for a moment before saying, "Bella, does Rodolphus ever make you happy?"

"Are you honestly still living in that fairy tale land, Cissy?" Bellatrix sneered. "Fairy tales are for Muggles, Mudbloods, and _Blood-Traitors_."

Narcissa didn't need to ask her sister why she had placed such emphasis on the word 'Blood-Traitors.' Narcissa knew that Bellatrix had been referring to their other sister, who had gone and married a Mudblood because she loved him.

"Watch it, Bellatrix," Lucius said in a soft but dangerous voice. He had never cared for Andromeda, but he knew that despite everything, a part of Narcissa still cared about and would always care about her disowned sister.

Bellatrix sneered at Lucius, but she didn't press any further on the matter.

Bellatrix then turned back to Narcissa. "I find Rodolphus to be tolerable. He also happens to be a wonderful partner whenever we go on missions. We make a good team. Not as good of a team as I make with the Dark Lord, of course, but still good enough to get the job done."

Narcissa didn't doubt that. She knew that both Bellatrix and Rodolphus had twisted minds, and that they both took pleasure out of the suffering of others.

It also didn't hurt that Rodolphus didn't seem to mind that Bellatrix wanted to be the dominant one in their relationship. There wasn't much that affected Rodolphus, and he only rarely showed any sign of emotion.

"I am quickly finding this party to be boring," Bellatrix spoke lazily. "Nott may think that his home is impressive, but this little cottage has nothing on Black Manor."

Indeed, much to both Lucius's and Narcissa's disgust, Nott had insisted that his manor be used for the party meant to announce his official engagement to Flora.

Bellatrix walked off without another word.

* * *

Narcissa began to scan the crowd, and she noticed that Georgina and Nicola had just politely excused themselves from Goyle's and Crabbe's company. Both men just nodded their heads dully at their future wives. It was as if they didn't care that Georgina and Nicola no longer wanted to be with them, which was most likely the case.

"I can't hide forever," Narcissa said to Lucius. "Mother will eventually start to make a scene if I don't make my presence known."

Lucius, who had also spotted Georgina and Nicola, nodded his head. "And even though your mother brought you that dress for all the wrong reasons, it still would be a shame for you to keep it hidden forever."

Lucius scanned the crowd some more, and he caught sight of Nott, whose hand was drifting farther and farther down Flora's back with each passing second as he talked cheerfully with several other Purebloods.

Flora's response to this was just to look down at the floor.

Narcissa also noticed the exchange between Nott and her friend, and her face tightened in anger. On a Pureblood social level, Nott wasn't doing anything improper, but Narcissa knew that his actions weren't that of man showing genuine affection for the woman that he loved. No, his actions were that of a man who was making it clear that the pretty young lady beside him belonged to him.

In their society, however, a Pureblood male acting like that would not be considered improper. It didn't matter if the female was also a Pureblood.

"Leave Nott to me," Lucius said to Narcissa. "I know how much you want to speak with Georgina and Nicola, especially before your mother finds you."

"I also want to speak with Flora, without Nott being right there beside her," Narcissa responded.

"I will make sure that happens," Lucius returned.

Lucius knew that Narcissa was a capable witch, more capable than she gave herself credit for, but Lucius also knew just how dangerous Nott could be. Lucius had been on several missions with Nott. Narcissa, on the other hand, had only ever been around the older man in social situations in which there had been others present.

Nott acted much differently under his Death Eater mask then he did when he was in public with respectable company.

Narcissa saw the worry in Lucius's eyes, even though she doubted that anyone else would have been able to notice it. She and Lucius had always been able to read each other exceptionally well.

Narcissa knew that Lucius had more personal experience with Nott than she did and therefore would be better able to deal with the older man than she could.

Narcissa nodded her head at Lucius. She then began to make her way towards Georgina and Flora, while Lucius began to make his way towards Nott and Flora.


	5. Party 2

Regulus was walking through the crowd when he suddenly caught sight of Flora.

She was standing beside Nott, looking down at the floor as he laughed and talked with another couple.

What Regulus really noticed, though, was Nott's hand slowly going lower and lower down Flora's back in a manner that the young boy could not help but consider possessive instead of affectionate.

Regulus clenched his fists as he began to make his way towards Nott and Flora.

"Your desire to defend Flora is admirable," spoke Lucius's voice, "but you are not yet ready to take on Nott."

Regulus turned around to face the blond-haired young man.

"I don't care if Nott hexes me," Regulus spoke. "He needs to know that he shouldn't be treating Flora as if she is some piece of property."

"I agree," Lucius responded, "but he's not likely to listen to you. He will, however, listen to me."

Regulus just nodded his head.

Lucius gently placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"One day you will truly make a difference in our world, Regulus," Lucius spoke, "and I believe that you will change it for the better."

"Thank you, Lucius," Regulus said softly.

Lucius nodded his head at Regulus before walking past him and towards Nott and Flora.

* * *

"Hello, Nott," Lucius greeted cheerfully. "Flora."

"Lucius, it's good to see you," Nott grinned.

"Lucius," Flora smiled, genuinely happy to see him.

Lucius inclined his head at the couple that Nott had been talking to. They nodded their heads back.

"Flora," Lucius then spoke, "Narcissa and Regulus had been wanting to speak with you, and I have no doubt that Georgina and Nicola would also like to catch up with you."

Flora's eyes lit up at the mention of her friends' names, but then she looked over at Nott and paled.

Lucius turned to Nott. "It's been a while since we've had a chance to catch up. I really have something important that I need to talk to you about in private. I promise that it won't take too long. And it will give Flora some time to mingle with some of the guests. She is one of the people that this party is meant for, after all."

"Of course," Nott responded. He then turned to his future wife. "I'll find you as soon as my business with Lucius is finished. I know that you will continue to be a wonderful hostess."

Flora just nodded her head.

Lucius motioned for Nott to follow him.

* * *

Regulus waited until Lucius and Nott had made their way out of the room before making his way over to Flora, who was politely excusing herself from the couple that her future husband had been talking to.

"Hello, Flora," Regulus greeted.

"Hello, Regulus," Flora smiled brightly. "Are you enjoying yourself? Has the food and drink been to your satisfaction?"

"Everything has been excellent, thank you," Regulus answered. "But what about you? Have you been having a good night?"

"It's been fine," Flora said. She looked around the ballroom. "Everyone looks like they're enjoying themselves. That's good to see. That will make Mr. Nott very happy. The house-elves have worked hard to make sure that everything would be perfect for tonight."

"The house-elves have done a wonderful job," Regulus responded. "Your future husband should be happy."

Regulus somehow managed to keep the bitterness out of his voice when he referred to Nott as Flora's future husband.

Flora hesitated for a moment before saying, "Mr. Nott can be very cruel to them when they do something to displease him, so I have also been working hard to make sure that everything would be pleasing to him tonight."

"And I thought he was supposed to be a gentleman," Regulus said.

"My future husband is a gentleman," Flora insisted.

"But only to those that he considers to be his equals," Regulus returned.

Flora looked at Regulus in surprise for a moment, but then she nodded her head in agreement.

"Has he been treating you well?" Regulus pressed.

"He's been worshiping the very ground that I walk on," Flora answered, "and he is constantly telling me how pleased he is by my beauty and grace."

"Is that why he doesn't like letting you out of his sight?" Regulus asked.

Flora looked away from Regulus and didn't answer.

"I did not mean to upset you," Regulus spoke. "I just want you to be happy. You're my friend."

"You really are a sweet boy, Regulus," Flora smiled. "I envy the woman that one day will have the good fortune of being married to you."

It was now Regulus's turn to look away.

Flora began to reach for Regulus's hand but then stopped, her hand falling back down to her side.

* * *

Lucius led Nott out of the ballroom and to the garden outside.

"Is this about the Dark Lord?" Nott asked. "Does he require my services tonight? I am always ready to serve. Surely he knows that."

"Don't overestimate your importance to him," Lucius spoke. "No, this isn't about him. This is about Flora."

"What about her?" Nott asked in confusion. "What does she have to do with anything?"

"You know that she is friends with Narcissa," Lucius said.

"Yes, but-"

"Which means that she is also a friend of mine," Lucius interrupted.

"I don't understand what you're trying to get at, Lucius."

"If you make her unhappy, that will make me unhappy as well," Lucius spoke.

"Are you trying to threaten me, Lucius, over a girl?" Nott snarled.

"Your future wife," Lucius clarified. "Your future _Pureblood_ wife."

"She's still just a woman," Nott responded.

Lucius pulled out his wand and pointed it at the older man. "You've always been an idiot, Nott. I can see that I need to put this in terms that you can actually understand."

Lucius kept his wand pointed at Nott as he slowly lowered it.

"Watch where you point that," Nott yelped, his eyes wide. "I do not yet have an heir."

"There are certain things that aren't required in order to produce an heir," Lucius returned calmly. "Have I finally made myself clear to you?"

"You have," Nott cried. "Now point that wand somewhere else."

Lucius placed his wand back into his robes. "Enjoy the rest of your night."

With that, Lucius turned and went back inside.

* * *

"Georgina, Nicola," Narcissa spoke when she finally reached her two friends, having taken the longest way possible in order to avoid drawing attention to herself.

The two young women turned to face her.

"Cissa," they both greeted happily.

"Your mother was right," Georgina remarked. "You do look absolutely beautiful in that dress."

Narcissa went slightly red in embarrassment.

"It's all right, Cissa," Georgina spoke. "We both know how your mother can be. Besides, I have never liked silk."

"Neither have I," Nicola added.

"But did my mother tell you where this silk came from?" Narcissa asked in mock interest.

"More than once," both women laughed.

Narcissa allowed herself a slight smile, but she quickly turned serious. "How have Goyle and Crabbe been?"

"They really could care less about making conversation with us, which is just fine with us as they have yet to have anything of value to say," Nicola answered. "They pretty much do what they want, while we pretty much do what we want. We've all found it to be an agreeable enough arrangement."

Narcissa just nodded her head.

"Don't be sorry for us, Cissa," Nicola spoke, reaching for her friend's hand. "I have been happy enough without a man in my life up to this point. To me, Crabbe is nothing more than an unattractive statue. Besides, I have you, Georgina, Flora, Lucius, and Regulus. My friends are all I need."

Georgina smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

"Cissa, Georgina, Nicola," came Flora's voice.

The three women turned to greet Flora and Regulus.

"Have you three been enjoying yourselves?" Flora then asked.

"Everything has been excellent," Nicola assured her friend. "You have done a wonderful job setting everything up."

"The house-elves did most of the work," Flora responded. "I just observed them to make sure that everything was running smoothly and on schedule."

"Finally, a young lady who knows how to be a proper Pureblood wife," Druella's voice spoke. "Mr. Nott is very fortunate indeed."

"Thank you, Mrs. Black," Flora said.

Druella turned to her daughter. "Cissy, tonight has reminded me that we need to schedule a party to celebrate your upcoming marriage to Lucius."

Narcissa resisted the temptation to groan. "But Mother, my and Lucius's engagement has been known to our world since we were babies. There is no need to officially announce it."

"Don't be silly, Cissy," Druella laughed. "It never hurts to refresh the public's memories."

Narcissa felt Nicola, who was standing the closest to her, grab her hand in sympathy.

"Have you talked to Lucius and Mr. Malfoy about this yet?" Narcissa asked her mother. "I'm sure that they would want to be involved in something so important."

"Of course, of course," Druella responded. "Do stop being so silly. You're almost a grown woman. Oh, there's Lucius right over there. Lucius, over here, dear."

Lucius placed a smile on his face as he walked over to them.

"Mrs. Black," he greeted.

"I was just talking to Cissy about a party that I want to have for you two," Druella said to Lucius. "A union between our two families is truly a momentous occasion."

"Indeed it is," Lucius returned.

"I'm afraid that party is going to have to wait for a while, Mrs. Black," came Abraxas's voice.

Narcissa heard Lucius, who was standing beside her, groan.

"Here comes the clash of the egos," he muttered to her.

"Abraxas," Druella smile was polite, but her voice was confused. "Why do you say that? Is something wrong?"

"Well, as you know, Lucius has just graduated from Hogwarts," Abraxas drawled, "which means that he is now the head of the Malfoy family. Don't you agree that is a reason to celebrate?"

"Of course, Abraxas."

"And don't you also agree that it is important for Lucius to establish himself as an adult to be taken seriously in our world before he worries about marriage?" Abraxas pressed.

"Of course," Druella responded.

She looked slightly disheartened, but seeing the dangerous gleam in Abraxas's eyes, she didn't dare say anything in protest. Besides, Druella had been raised properly by her parents. She knew her place. She knew when to let the man have his way.

Druella also wanted to stay in the Malfoys' good graces. Narcissa was not yet married to Lucius, and Druella feared that if she made Abraxas angry, then that would end up making Lucius angry as well.

Lucius and Narcissa had to be married at any cost. Druella would not allow her daughter to marry a man who came from a less prominent family than the Blacks.

"All of you, of course, will be invited," Lucius spoke up. "As the new head of the Malfoy household, I do get to decide who is welcomed and who isn't."

Abraxas smiled at him, but Lucius could tell that his father wasn't at all happy with his bold words.

"That is very generous of you, Lucius," Druella smiled.

Lucius smiled back at her before saying, "But enough about that for now. This night, after all, is for Flora, Georgina, Nicola, and their future husbands. Their pure blood will one day be passed to the next generation, and that is always a reason to celebrate."

"I couldn't agree more, Lucius," Abraxas smiled. His eyes, however, were cold.

Lucius just smirked at his father before turning to Flora, Georgina, and Nicola and asking them if it would be all right if he had a dance with each of them at least once before the night was over.

The three women quickly told him that would make them very happy.

Narcissa smiled brightly. She then noticed that Regulus was looking sadly at Flora.

"I have no doubt that she will dance with you as well if you ask her," Narcissa told her cousin.

To her surprise, however, Regulus shook his head.

"No, Cissy. I don't want even a glimpse of what I will never be allowed to have."

Regulus then politely excused himself, saying that he wanted to return to his parents.

He forced himself to smile at Flora, who forced herself to smile back at him.


	6. Sacred

**Author's Note** **: This is the final chapter for this story. I truly appreciate all the reviews that I have received. They encouraged me to keep on writing.**

* * *

Narcissa followed Lucius into his official study.

Truth be told, it had always been Lucius's study, as it was the room that he had used the most for research and study while growing up.

Now that Lucius was the head of the Malfoy household, however, the room was now _officially_ his study.

"Make yourself comfortable," Lucius said to Narcissa, gesturing at the couch. "Would you like something to drink? I have a bottle of Superior Red in here."

"That would be nice, thank you," Narcissa responded as she sat down.

Lucius poured a glass of the red wine into two glasses. He then gave one of the glasses to Narcissa.

Lucius took several sips from his glass before walking over to his desk to look at a book that he had left open earlier that morning.

"The Sacred Twenty-Eight," he muttered. "There was a time when there was more than just twenty-eight Pureblood families in Britain. With each generation, there are less and less of our kind. Many Pureblood families that have been respectable for countless generations have chosen to taint their blood with Muggle filth. Our choices of spouses are becoming more and more limited. If something is not done, there will come a time when there will no longer be any Pureblood families in existence."

"Especially considering that there are Purebloods like Nott, Goyle, and Crabbe," Narcissa spoke. She shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "I can almost understand-"

She stopped in mid-sentence.

"Go on," Lucius said encouragingly as he sat down beside her. "You know that you can tell me whatever is on your mind, Narcissa."

Narcissa sighed. She was then silent for several moments. Finally, though, she said, "I can almost understand why Dromeda married that Mudblood."

Narcissa didn't dare meet Lucius's eyes after she spoke those treacherous words. Lucius had always encouraged her to think for herself, and he had always respected her opinions, even if he didn't always fully agree with them.

This, however, was something totally different. This was about maintaining the purity of their blood.

"It truly is a shame when a Mudblood is seen as being more favorable than a Pureblood," Lucius said, "but I cannot disagree with the fact that the one whom Andromeda had been arranged to marry was no better than Nott, Goyle, and Crabbe. Flora, Georgina, and Nicola, however, will bring prestige back to those families. Andromeda could have done the same thing, but she decided to be selfish. She decided to put her needs before the needs of her family and her kind. Don't get me wrong. I truly wish that Flora, Georgina, and Nicola had been given better husbands, but-"

It was now Lucius's time to stop in mid-sentence. He knew how deeply Narcissa cared about her friends, and he cared about them as well.

"Flora, Georgina, and Nicola are doing what is right," Narcissa spoke. "They are doing what any proper Pureblood should do. It is all right for you to say that, Lucius, because it is the truth, no matter how much it may sometimes hurt. I know that my friends will make the best out of their situations. I was wrong to say what I did about Dromeda. What she did was selfish and wrong."

"You still care about her, which is perfectly understandable," Lucius responded. "True, I have never cared for her; but I also realize that she was once an important part of your life, and I will never try to take that away from you."

"How is it that I had the good fortune of being paired with you?" Narcissa muttered.

Lucius reached out and gently grabbed Narcissa's hand.

"Flora, Georgina, and Nicola wouldn't want you feeling this way," he said softly.

"I know, but I still can't help it," Narcissa responded. "There will always be things that I wish were different."

"Then we will fight to make those things better," Lucius said. "We will not just stand by and watch as our world falls further and further into ruin. No, we will make sure that the next generation truly has reason to be proud of their heritage and their blood."

Lucius glanced down at his left arm. Under the sleeve of his robe, he could feel his Dark Mark.

The Dark Lord had made so many promises when it came to preserving the purity of wizarding blood.

Lucius could feel that Narcissa's eyes were also on his left arm. She knew that he was a Death Eater. Lucius had told her the same night he had received the Mark, as he had thought that she deserved to fully know what she would be getting into when they finally did marry.

" _Toujours Pur,"_ Narcissa breathed. "No matter what, we can never forget that. It is our life."

"Yes, it is," Lucius agreed.

It was the only reason why he had taken the Mark.

He would do whatever it took to make sure that Purebloods would never die out.

* * *

 **Author's Note** **: The Sacred Twenty-Eight is a list of twenty-eight wizarding families in Britain that were still considered to be Purebloods when the list was compiled in the 1930's.**

 **Additional Author's Note** **: Superior Red is a brand of red wine that is produced at Malfoy Apothecary.**


End file.
